Find The King!
by Kitake Neru
Summary: The Suits have been defeated, so where's the King? Squall and the gang follows a hunt to find the greatest player in Garden, only with unexpected consequences. Based on the CC sidequest, with added dialogue! One-shot.


Find The King!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. I'm just a dreaming author...huuu...  
  
Author's note: I was inspired... no other word for it, heh. This is the CC sidequest, right after the return from outer space. I haven't saved Rinoa yet, instead I set out on the CC Quest!! I didn't bother with the other four suits, this jumps straight to the King! Spoilers ahead for those who haven't played the Quest!~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SQUALL!!!!!  
  
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"I'll tell you a secret," Dr. Kadowaki was smiling mysteriously. "I used to be the CC Group King, but I was defeated and passed that title down four years ago."  
  
"Four - You mean the new King has never been defeated?!" Irvine gawked and the doctor nodded. Squall frowned. "I've never met the King before. The others were pretty random, inconspicuous characters (Xu: Hey!)... so who's the King?"  
  
"I'm not telling," Dr. Kadowaki laughed. I guess Edea started the card craze and founded the CC Group, but we never really liked the Random rule that she liked so much," She added thoughtfully. Quistis laughed. "I know one we haven't fought, Squall. He's the Joker, and I once played him. He's pretty good."  
  
"You play?" Squall asked inrediculously and Quistis smiled. "I'm not as good as you... though I pick up tips now and then."  
  
"Tips." Dr. Kadowaki repeated with a snort and shooed them out of the infirmary.  
  
"But seriously, the CC group are pretty good," Irvine said thoughtfully, playing with his ponytail. "And That guy who was mooning after Xu... think we should tell her?" he smiled mischievously and Quistis laughed. "She'll skin you faster than you can load your gun, Kinneas! Xu doesn't like male admirers, and she certainly doesn't want people like you to tell her about it."  
  
"What about people like me?' Irvine followed Squall as they walked along the circular corridor surrounding the elevator. Squall sighed and looked at his cards. His deck is nearly complete now and challenging the King is not necessary, but all the same...  
  
"Who's the King, you reckon?" Irvine mused. "Maybe the lunch ladies?"  
  
"Maybe it's the gate man," Quistis suggested and the two passed the time speculating who's the greatest card player in Balamb when Squall stopped in front of the dormitory. "Can you guys leave me alone?" he asked quietly and Quistis blinked. She nodded. "I'll be up at the Bridge," She smiled and Irvine guffawed. "Gotta find Seffie, wherever she is."  
  
Squall nodded, fingering his newly-acquired card. Quistis nodded this and smiled mysteriously. "Looks like you're thinking about the King," She said teasingly. "Don't be surprised if he comes and challenges you himself!"  
  
Now what's that supposed to mean, he wondered as he shrugged out of his jacket and lay down to rest. Tomorrow he'll need to go look for some adamantine... what a bother. Why is Lion Heart so difficult to upgrade?  
  
He fell asleep, dreaming of fierce-looking turtles and gleaming Lion Hearts, when he was prodded awake. Prodded. Not shaken, or called. He was prodded. How irritating. His eyes snapped open to a pair of laughing cornflower blue eyes and he frowned. "Quisty?"  
  
Quistis straightened up and watched as he sat up, rubbing his neck. "What is it? Are the intercoms down again?"  
  
Quistis laughed and pressed a finger to her lips. "Nope. You're so adorable when you're asleep!"  
  
He groaned, remembering with a stab that the last person who commented on that was Rinoa. Rinoa... just then he noticed that his blind was drawn, but Quistis was dressed in her SeeD uniform. He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Night classes?" he guessed and she shook her head laughingly and took out a pack of cards. A very *large* pack. His eyebrow shot higher. She saluted him and played with the cards with a devilish grin. "You've beaten the four suits, and your skill surprises me. So here I am, here to challenge you! Surprised?' She laughed. "I'm the CC Card Master, the King! Fooled you, hmm?"  
  
He stared blankly at her. "You? The King?"  
  
She wriggled her eyebrows. "So you're skeptical. Come on! I challenge you."  
  
"At three in the morning?"  
  
"Like it makes any difference, Squall." She said critically and he afforded a wry smile. A spark of that pride returned and he reached for his own deck. 'You didn't peek, did you?"  
  
"I know your deck like I know mine," She said pertly. "Though I never expected to use that info... well, maybe that's an advantage, but your games are so unpredictable."  
  
Squall nodded now, smiling as he shuffled his deck. "So, what rules, King?" He flopped down on the floor, cross-legged and she happily did the same. "To be fair, let's go random," She started. "And Plus, Open, Same / Same Wall."  
  
"Sudden Death?"  
  
"If you insist," her eyes were twinkling now. Squall chuckled as he shuffled his deck and pulled out his cards. 'What's with the uniform?"  
  
"A King must have some dignity, okay?' She said haughtily. "I can't very well challenge you in my battle clothes. What if I lose? I can at least save face."  
  
He tossed a coin. "You go first, Quisty."  
  
An hour later, he was wishing he hadn't agreed to the Random rule. Quistis was either very good or she's very lucky. They've been playing for an hour and they keep drawing, or he keeps losing. Apparently the Same/Plus rule was deliberate. "The title is really you," he said absently as he flipped a card. She was tapping the tile with one finger, lips pursed in concentration. "Eh? And If you win you'll be the new King." She chuckled. "King Squall. King Leonhart. Sounds much better than King Trepe."  
  
"Rrgh - yes!" He suddenly shouted and threw his cards in the air. "I won!!"  
  
"No fair!" Quistis laughed. "I wasn't concentrating! All right, here's the card," She handed him a card and gathered her cards. "Looks like I'm a has- been... what mortification!' She laughed. "Lucky me I challenged you in the middle of the night, nobody's watching."  
  
"So I'm the new King." Squall mused quietly. "When are you going to tell the other CC group?"  
  
"We know!!!" A voice over the intercom sounded and Quistis' face drained of color. "Oh Hyne..."  
  
Squall too froze in the act of shuffling. Their gaze were reverted to an inconspicuous gadget set in the corner of the ceiling, and on impulse, Squall threw his jacket over it. Quistis slapped her forehead.  
  
"The security camera!!!"  
  
Author's note: Hmm... now that the camera's been covered, wonder if there'll be other action? Nah... just kidding (ducks tomatoes thrown by Rinoa fans). My first one shot. Whaddaya think?! Oh, and happy birthday, Squall!!!! 


End file.
